Filling machine



pm- 21, 1936. M Go'LDBERG FILLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17, 1954 l GT ,m mm

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Patented Jan. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES FILLING MACHINE Max Goldberg,

New York, N. Y.

Application February 17, 1934, Serial No. 711,795

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a compact lling machine for iilling cushions, pillows and the like with padding.

An object of this invention is to provide a cushion-lling-machine of the type designed to insert the lling material in the cushion by means of a reciprocable plunger-head which pushes the filling material into the cushion cover, and is then automatically withdrawn to its original position after the filling operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a chain having a series of contiguous members attached thereto, the said members being designed to abut in rigid alignmentv for reciprocating the plunger-head, and to provide means for rotating the chain a portion of the circumference and for reciprocating the plunger-head the full depth of the cushion cover.

Another object of this invention resides in the particular arrangement and structural features ofthe cooperating mechanism, which makes the device automatic in its action.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described, and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims which form part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the machine showing the plunger-head in retracted position, the section being taken as on line l-I in Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, the section being taken .as on line 2--2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary portion of a sprocket gear having a circumferential series of pins which mesh with a pinion on a pivotally mounted motor.

Figure 4 is an end view of the pivotally mounted motor, showing upper and lower Ystops for limit,- ing the upper and lower movements of the pinion on theY motor.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the several views show a lling machine Ill, comprising a pedestal-like hollow supporting frame l l having horizontally disposed supporting members l2 fastened to its side walls at the upper face I3. A shaft I4 is xedly mounted in the supporting members I2. A lling receiving box or receptacle I5 having downwardly extending lugs I6 is mounted in slidable engagement with the shaft I4. The receptacle I5 projects out beyond the pedestal I I. A cushion cover I'I may be drawn over the open end portion of the receptacle. The receptacle comprises a pair of telescoping enclosure members I8 and I9 preferably formed of sheet metal. The enclosure members are bent to provide vertical sides 20, 2 I, and horizontal overlapping bottoms 22, 23. The enclosure members I8 and I9 are provided with flaps or covers 24, 25, which are attached to the Ver- 10 tical sides 2Il, 2|, by means of hinges 26. A bar 21 is pivoted to the upper cover 25 and is designed to be swung and to lock the covers against upward movement when the padding is being moved in the receptacle. The open end 15 portion 28 of the receptacle I5 has lugs, 29 fastened thereto. The lugs 29 are internally threaded and are designed to engage a screw 30 which is supported from the frame I I, in brackets 3! IThe screw 30 is threaded one half its length 20 with right hand threads 32 and the other half with left hand threads 33. The reversely threaded portions of the screw 30 are in interengagement with the mated threaded lugs 29. By rotating the screw 30, the enclosure members I8, 25 I9, may be advanced towards each other or moved away from each other depending on the width of the cushion cover to be iilled. A handwheel 34 is provided for turning the screw 30. The screw 30 is held xed in place in relation to the 30 frame II, by means of collars 58 positioned adjacent the inner faces of the brackets 3|. The covers 24 and 25 overlap the same distance as the bottoms 22 and 23. It can thus be clearly seen that with the bottoms and the covers over- 35 lapping each other respectively at the middle of the receptacle, a continuous bottom and a continuous top is formed which may be varied in width as desired. Only a fragmentary portion of the projecting open end 28 of the receptacle I5, 40

is shown in Figure 1. This projecting portion may be of such length as to make the screw 30 positioned midway lengthwise between the ends of the receptacle.

A plunger-head 35 is mounted for horizontal 45 reciprocatory motion in the filling box or receptacle l5. The plunger-head 35 consists of a channel section 3S and a block 3l. The block 3l is removably mounted in an angle 38 which is fastened to the channel 35. A sprocket or toothed wheel 50 39 is fixed on a shaft 4E) disposed within bearings 4l in the frame I Ir. A sprocket chain 42 is mounted on the sprocket wheel 39 and may contact in operative relation therewith along a portion of its circumference. One end 43 of the chain 42 55 may hang in a vertical plane. A series of fiat plates 44 are secured to the links of the sprocket chain 42, the plates being contiguous and in abutting relation when the links are in a straight line as in the vertical end portion 43. 'I'he upper end plate 44 is fastened to the upper end link 45 and is fixed to the channel 36, preferably by welding. It will thus be noted that when the sprocket wheel 39 is rotated a portion of its circumference so as to cause the vertical lower end portion 43 of the chain. 42 to rise, the upper end portion defined by the end link 45 will move horizontally and cause the attached plunger-head 35 to move in a horizontal plane in the receptacle I5. In this extended horizontal position, the flat plates 44 will abut in horizontal alignment.

As best shown in Figure 2, two guides or rollers 46 are mounted on a shaft 41 disposed within bearings 48 and supported from the side walls of the frame II. The guides 46 contact with the upper surfaces of the flat plates 44 and serve to maintain the chain links 45 in the pitch circle of the sprocket gear prior to assuming a rigid straight line position. Bars 49 are preferably fastened to a number of plates 44 near the plunger-head 35 and respectively overlap the two adjoining plates 44 and serve to prevent the links from buckling when in straight line alinement in said receptacle.

As shown in Figure 1, the axis of the guide rollers 46 and the point of contact between the rollers and the plates 44 is positioned at one side of a straight line assumed to pass vertically through the axis of rotation of the toothed wheel adjacent the lling receptacle, in the present instance. This disposition of the guide rollers is necessary to obtain the straight line relation of the links in the receptacle.

As shown in Figure l, the sprocket wheel 39 is provided on one side with a circumferential series of pins 50i, spaced apart for engagement with the teeth of a pinion 5I. The pinion 5I is preferably mounted on a motor 52' best shown in Figure 3. The motor 52 is preferably mounted on a pivoted platform 59 having a pivot pin 53. The pinion 5I will thus be adapted to swing with its axis parallel to the axis of the sprocket wheel and practically along a radial line of the sprocket wheel 39. A number of the pins 50` have been omitted to provide room for a guide member 54. The guide member 54 has oppositely facing concave guide surfaces 55 and is fastened to the sprocket wheel 39 intermediate the two end pins 59. Each concave guide surface has the same axis or center as an adjacent end pin. The concave guide surfaces are substantially semicircular and terminate in a radialV line passing through the center of an end pin 50 and through the center of the wheel 39. The guide member 54 has been recessed to provide marginal clearances 56 vto permit the pinion 5I to travel freely in contact with the guide surfaces 55.

Continuous` rotary motion of the pinion 5I produces reverse motions of the sprocket wheel 39.

The motions take place with a uniform velocity in the forward and return directions. The pinion 5I moves over the lower surfaces of the pins 5I] when moving the chain 42 forward. The pinion moves over the upper surfaces of the pins 59 when moving the chain backward.

As shown in Figure 4, there has been provided an upper limiting stop B9 and a lower limiting stop 6I corresponding to the upper and lower movements of the pinion 5I. These stops serve to keep the pinion in close operating contact with the respective upper or lower surfaces of the pins 50, as the pinion 5I continues in its travel after it leaves the guide surfaces 55 of the guide member 54.

'I'he operation of the cushion filling machine is as follows:

The covers 24 and 25 on the receptacle I5 are swung on their hinges 26 to a substantially Vertical position for receiving the filling or padding. After the padding has been placed in the receptacle, the covers are closed and the bar 21 is swung into locking position in engagement with angular lugs 51, and the cover of the cushion is slipped over the projecting end 28 of the receptacle. The end wheel 34 is rotated to cause the enclosure members I8 and I9 to move apart so as to extend the cushion cover as much as possible and to hold the cover in frictional engagement over the receptacle. A foot controlled switch (not shown) may supply current to the motor. The operator steps on the switch, thereby supplying current to the motor and causingthe pinion 5I to revolve. The pinion 5I being in engagement with an end pin 50 will cause the sprocket wheel to revolve in a direction to project the plunger-head 35 into the receptacle and the padding outwardly into the cushion cover. The cushion cover is gradually forced off the receptacle while it is being filled with the padding.

On completion of the forward movement of the plunger-head 35 the operator removes his foot from the electric foot switch and is ready to unlock the bar 21 so as to raise the covers 24, 25 preparatory to filling another cushion cover.

A mechanical linking connection (not shown) may be positioned underneath the free end of the platform 59, the said connection serving to maintain the foot switch in a closed position until the plunger-head 35 has completed its reverse motion. The mechanical connection functions when the pinion 5I has reached its upper position above the pins 5|). When the pinion reaches the lower position below the pins 50, the said linkage will open the electric switch and bring the motor to a stop ready for the operator to repeat a lling operation.v

What I claim is:

1. A cushion filling machine of the character described comprising an open-ended receptacle, a plunger-head reciprocably mounted in said receptacle, a linked drive member for sliding said plunger-head forwardly and rearwardly within said receptacle, means for temporarily keeping said linked member rigid in alignment in said receptacle to operate said plunger-head, and means for actuating vsaid linked member forwardly and reversely, said actuating means comprising a wheel provided on one face with a circumferential series of pins positioned in perpendicular relation to said face, a driving pinion mounted for movement with respect to said wheel and which coacts with said pins, and a guide member fixed to said Wheel and providing opposed concave guide surfaces for guiding said pinion during the movement of said pinion with respect to the wheel.

2. In a machine of the class described, a receptacle for receiving filling material, means to eject the material from the receptacle, a rotatably mounted toothed wheel, a chain having one end fastened to said means, said chain meshing with said toothed wheel, the axis of rotation of saidwheel being positioned below said receptacle, rigid members on the links of said chain respectively to temporarily keep the chain rigid in straight line alinement and also allowing the chain to assume a circumferential form under operating conditions, horizontal guide means positioned at one side of a straight line assumed to pass vertically through the axis of rotation of said toothed wheel and also contacting with said rigid members adjacent said receptacle for maintaining said links in the pitch circle of said toothed wheel prior to assuming a rigid straight line position, additional rigid members secured in superposed relation to the rst mentioned rigid members and respectively overlapping two of said first mentioned rigid members adjacent the same, to prevent said links from buckling when in alinement in said receptacle, and means to operate said Wheel to cause the chain to reciprocate said ejecting means.

3. In a machine of the class described, a receptacle for receiving iilling material, means to eject the material from the receptacle, a rotatably mounted toothed wheel, a linked element having one endiastened to said ejecting means, said linked element meshing with said toothed wheel, the links of said linked element having rigid members respectively to temporarily keep the linked element rigid in straight line alinement and also allowing the linked element to assume a circumferential form under operating conditions, guide means positioned at one side ofa line assumed to pass vertically through the axis of rotation of said toothed wheel and also contacting with said rigid members adjacent said receptacle for maintaining said links in the operating circle of contact of said toothed wheel prior to assuming a rigid straight line position, and means to operate said wheel to cause the linked element to reciprocate said ejecting means.

MAX GOLDBERG. 

